Never Using Green
by Kashimalin
Summary: Human!AU for DHMIS Characters from all videos. Anthony "Tony" Harrison is a gallery manager who meets up with a young new artist, Paige Witte. Together they begin to form a bond and meet up with many other members of the cast along the way...(Updates bi-weekly on Saturdays.)
1. Chapter 1

Tony held the paper before him as he read the sentence in bold. "Try to imagine a life without timekeeping." Intrigued, he kept reading the passage that had been included with the picture that someone had submitted.

"_You probably can't. You know the month, the year, the day of the week. There is a clock on your wall or the dashboard of your car. You have a schedule, a calendar, a time for dinner or a movie. Yet all around you, timekeeping is ignored. Birds are not late. A dog does not check its watch. Deer do not fret over passing birthdays. Man alone measures time. Man alone chimes the hour. And, because of this, man alone suffers a paralyzing fear that no other creature endures. A fear of time running out."_

Tony couldn't help but smile as he looked at the picture included, appropriately titled "Timekeeping". It was of many animals all danced out from the center towards the frame, while a single man was stuck inside a circle that was not unlike a clock, seemingly unable to get out.

And he adored the piece. Struck a cord with him. But, alas, he was not able to approve it for the gallery they wanted to submit to. All he could do was push it to the superiors. They were very easy people, to, accepting more works than they could take on, and then those they denied were all the wrong ones to deny. That aggravated him whenever he walked through the gallery to admire (without expressing his true dislike for) the new art placed there every two weeks.

Being a business major was one of the most difficult things to be, he supposed.

Walking out of his office, Tony closed his door and locked it behind him. But before he could turn away, a young lady showed up. Momentarily stunned at her rainbow hair, he could only raise his eyebrows in silence.

"Am I too late? It's Friday and your card says you don't do weekends, so…" The young lady held the large square in her hands up a little more.

"Ah, I mean…" Tony did want to be home on time, but he wasn't about to deny a young lady who had obviously rushed to get here so quickly. There was still that schedule, that same schedule…

"All right, let's see it, then. And I don't believe I caught your name."

"Paige Witte," she said, without extending a hand to shake his as she unraveled the painting from the cloth.

"…Tony Harrison." Pulling back his hand, his eyes grew in wonder as he saw what lay beneath the painting. It was a self-portrait, that only used reds and the white of the canvas. The artwork was almost stunning.

"Did you major in art, might I ask?" Delicately taking the artwork from her, she placed her arms behind her back and smiled. "I did, indeed. Fine Arts major form Oxford."

Tony couldn't actually contain his excitement at meeting someone like that. "You should submit this right away! If anything, just say you're from Oxford, they'll be sure to accept it. You'll be a star in the local gallery."

Paige smiled even more, showing teeth and swaying side to side a little bit. "I'm very glad you think so."

"Naturally. I'll do my best to get in a good word for you with them, but no promises that I'll have any good influence."

"That's all right, honest. But you do really think it can get into the gallery?"

"Of course!" Handing it back to her, Paige briefly hugged him out of excitement.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

She would get in, it was a picture of a beautiful lady, and those fools could not resist the appeal of young beauty.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony had managed to get Miss Witte's picture in the gallery, but not the Timekeeping painting. Sad at the lack of being able to do such, he wandered through until he saw the crowd around her self-portrait. And there she was, a few steps away, smiling gleefully at the people who surrounded her work of art.

It was of her face, a profile, all colored in red and black. She stared up at flowers in the upper left corner, all dripping like blood. The hums of admiration came from the crowd, and Tony went to stand next to her.

"It's a lovely painting, no wonder there's a crowd."

Surprised, she turned to him with wide eyes, then, realizing who it was, softened and turned back. "I suppose that's good, I just wonder if my other paintings could warrant such attention. That was my best piece."

Tony sighed, wondering if it was too forward to ask to go to her studio to see the paintings. It was the most logical way of judging, but he supposed she could always bring them in to see.

"I'll bring them in, at some point for you to see, but…"

"Would it be easier if I came over?"

Paige shook her head rapidly. "No, no, I'll bring them in! It won't be too difficult!"

Clearly that wasn't the path she was going down earlier, but that was fine by him. Nodding, he realized that his manager was waving him over with a grin. Excusing himself from Paige's company, he briskly stepped over and was pulled into the office.

"Anthony, Anthony! Look, that girl you were talking with… she painted that picture, right?"  
"She did," Tony said, tilting his head slightly, with a mental groan. He hated people calling him Anthony. "Why do you ask?"

"The newspaper wants to interview her. They want to know what compels her dark and beautiful style."

"Ah!" Tony gave a thoughtful nod, understanding the situation. "Of course, of course. Would you like me to tell her to stay?"

"Naturally."

On the other side of town, a man was shaking a young boy awake.

"Danny, come on, it's time to wake up. Your nap's gone long enough, and Terry's finished making dinner."

Groaning, Danny flipped over, trying to rub his eyes and the man merely ruffled his blue hair even more, causing Danny to squirm and try to pull at Ragnell's long red locks. "Nooo, don't do that, Daddy."

Sighing, he lifted Danny out of bed. "My name is Ragnell, not Daddy, you know that." Carrying him into the kitchen, Terry looked up and pulled the hairnet away from his brown hair, letting it fall loosely.

"You don't need to do that; nothing will fall into your soups." Ragnell set Danny down in his chair, who began to wake up at the smell of Terry's soups, which had really improved since he arrived.

"I know, but it happened once, and I can't let it go." Stirring again, Ragnell knew there was no winning against the kid, despite his philosophy major. The kid was a genius. Or something like that. They could have the conversation of two men who had lived very long lives after Danny was in bed.

"Danny, how much soup do you want in your special bowl?" Holding up the cracked china bowl, Terry was careful to not spill what was already inside of it.

"The usual!"

Sliding out of the chair with a thump, he ran to Terry and took his bowl and Ragnell's, determined to help, despite the fact Ragnell always got up to take them in case he dropped one or both of them.

They couldn't afford to break another bowl.


	3. Chapter 3

Paige sat down in the chair wearing the best dress she owned, a beautiful white one with a flared skirt and low neck. Black tights almost made her legs more slim, Tony noted from the shadows behind the lights that were aimed on her.

The interviewer coughed and quickly flicked through his papers before raising three fingers. "We're live in three, two…"

Tony took that chance to give Paige a thumbs-up, causing her to smile as the cameras went on and the interviewer asked his first question.

"So, there was a lot of hype about you in the art gallery this week, Miss Witte. Can you tell us why you think people were so drawn to your art?"

In an almost perfectly scripted response, she gave the reply the city would know and expect. "I'm not sure. There must be a symbolic meaning in my self-portraits, something that draws people into them and makes them find little details in themselves and the picture. For example, people don't notice until a few looks that the flowers in the profile are actually made of many little sticks and leaves."

A couple more questions about her schooling, history, family were asked, then came the million dollar question…

"Do you think there is something that inspires your creative muse in such a dark and elegant way?"

Tony looked up from his iPhone. He had been waiting for this question, but didn't think it would come up.

"Well, not really. There's nothing in my past that influences my current art style, or what I see in the future. It's just how I feel about my art and my favorite colors. Brown, red, peach, blue…"

"You were also able to submit a few of your pictures into us before the interview…"

Tony felt a little offended. He hadn't approved any of them first, even seen them. How had these people gotten the privilege to look at them, but not him? Either way, he'd see them soon enough.

"…You don't seem to use any green, even in your pictures of the forest. It's all dark purples and grays. Is there any reason why you don't use it?"

"…I simply don't like the color green."


	4. Chapter 4

Ragnell quietly stood before the painting in the gallery. The picture he had read about in the paper was stunning. He admired the strokes, the accents… and how it was already behind glass, as if she was a famous artist.

He had also watched the gallery owners hang up a new painting of hers; it was another portrait of a person's body part… an eye.

It was almost a photograph. People instantly flocked to it, but Ragnell looked from afar. He could see was the massive eye that came out from under a sweaty brow. There were images filling the eye, all around the pained pupil…

War. Death. It was a portrait of someone who had seen everything, and relived it everyday. That was what they were seeing.

"Do you like it?"

Ragnell looked to the right of him to she a young lady, rainbow hair dyed every color, except green. He was amazed at how much pastel dye she should hold in her hair. Ragnell felt the urge to touch it and see if it was even real.

"It's a visually simulating picture." He gave a sigh. "I enjoy seeing things that make the people think. As a Philosophy major, I appreciate the ideas behind paintings which people create. For example, I take it this painting represents PTSD?"

"Nail on the head." Paige felt the urge to paint him, because she knew that his whole figure would be a challenge. The strong build, the long hair pulled back into a braid, and a rather nice French braid at that, and the neutral clothing.

Certainly a challenge.

"I saw your interview on TV. I watched it with my kids."

"Oh? I hope they weren't offended by my few works of art shown."

"Nah, those kids have seen enough in their lifetimes that it doesn't really bother them. Not my intention, honestly, but still."

"I'm sure that you're a very good father to them, far better than their parents ever were."

"Ah, you guessed right. Adopted."

"…Well, I'm sorry for occupying your time. Take this." She flicked out a small card. "I might start painting commissions soon, or something of that sort. So my personal manager… excuse me, the assistant manager here recommended that I make these sooner rather than later."

With a smile, she spun around and walked okay.

Subconsciously, Ragnell gingerly touched his braided hair. _Ugh!_ Most embarrassing hairstyle to have on meeting such a pretty lady! She probably thought he was a damn weirdo. But he liked his French braids… maybe she didn't think him so weird, then. Did she even see his hair, and if so-

"Oh, excuse me!"

Ragnell stepped aside, and a man with a mustache squeezed by through him and the crowd. "Thank you, apologies."

He stepped in front of Ragnell and held out his hand. "I noticed you talking to Miss Witte. Are you an acquaintance of hers?"

"Nothing of the sort, sir." At that comment, he quickly pulled back his hand as Ragnell went out to shake it.

_White gloves? What pretentious people, these art gallery folks are_.

"Ah, well then. Apologies for disturbing you."

"Anthony, come here!" A man suddenly grabbed the black jacket of Tony and pulled him along. "Have a good day-!" he yelled to Ragnell before turning a corner.

Ragnell stared at him, puzzled to the man's behavior and actions. He wondered if he was just hypocritical because of his degree.

"Miss Witte?" Tony opened the door as delicately as he could, trying to not disturb her in his office. "I know it's daunting to give autographs and pass out cards, but really. Your fame is increasing! Soon, there will be people lining up outside your door!"

"I hope not." Paige mumbled as she gave a spin in his cushy office chair.

"Come now," Tony said soothingly, coming over and stopping the chair mid-spin. "Miss Witte, I'll be there to support you. Just give the signal, and I'll whisk you away. Deal?"

She looked up and smiled. "…Deal."


End file.
